The Forest Floor
by Flubby48
Summary: Alaina Reeds lived in a small town just up the hill from Sandgem Town surrouned by only people she knew: her best friend, Jamie, and her abusive mother. But when she escapes to go on her long-awaited pokemon adventure, she finds the world is different than what she expected, and she finds that there are people you can and can't trust. 'T' for mature themes and mild language.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1****:**

"Get Out!" she screamed, a bottle of wine grasped tightly in her right hand. She was hanging on to the bottle as if it was life, and for her, it was.

"Mother!" I cried back, in shock.

"You're dead to me! Get out! Get out!"

"You can't do this!" I screamed at her.

A maniacal laugh sound across the room from me, I stared, terrified of my mother. "You will not tell your mother what she will and will not do," stepping forward, she delivered a wine bottle straight across my face shattering the bottle and the contents. "Get. Out." She growled, ignoring my bloodied cheek and bruising skin. "Now."

Scrambling, I crawled to the door where I had left my backpack, and clicked the door behind me as I fled the scene of the irate woman.

* * *

"Jamie!" I cried as I knocked frantically on the door. "Open the door!" It was early, the sun had only just risen, so about 5 o' clock. I didn't expect her to be up, I just didn't know where else to go. "Jamie!"

"Oh my god, Alaina!" she screamed, clearly frantic as she swung open the door and grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me back and forth. "How the hell...!? Your face! Mom!" Jamie was always a bit of a dramatic one, always overreacting; still, I wasn't anticipating that I looked like a spring day.

Jamie's mother running into the room as Jamie ran out, I saw rage transform into concern across her face. "Was that...?" she trailed off clearly taken off her guard.

"My mother," I specified with a shaken smile that caused my cheek to sting even more than it already did.

"What'd she...?"

"Glass bottle."

"And your clothes!"

"Red wine." it was sad that we had been through this enough times that I knew what she was going to say. This wasn't exactly a foreign experience to us.

Jamie running back into the room with a wet rag in hand, she took to dabbing the dried blood off my cheek and tried to stop the remaining bleeding. I tried my best to ignore the sting.

Grabbing a first-aid kit, Jamie's mom shooed Jamie away and began working on my cuts with a pair of tweezers.

"You're lucky that you don't have too much lodged in there. You'll only need a few stitches," she observed as she plucked a shard from one of the many cuts across my face.

Blinking my acceptance, I just sat silently. Stitches were the last thing that I wanted aside from anything to do with my mother. I had hoped that I wouldn't need them this time, but that's me, the optimist. "Thank you, Mrs. David. I'm sorry to disturb you."

"Oh, don't be!" she attempted to reassure me as she finished the last of the stitches. I only needed seven stitches in the end, so it wasn't as bad as I thought. "You needed medical attention. If anything, I should be sorry that you need it."

I tried not to roll my eyes good naturedly, Mrs. David was always one of the kindest of people, she always knew just how to make people feel as if they were more important than her. "Thank you, Mrs. Davis," I replied as she walked out of the living room and into the kitchen.

Sitting down, Jamie just gazed fixated on my cheek before meeting my eyes and speaking her thoughts. "So your mother came home drunk again?"

Nodding my head affirmative, I looked away toward the white painted front door. "Every night, Jamie."

Understanding, Jamie looked away. Jamie was the only one that I would trust with that information. She was the only one that I fully trust, and as we had been best friends since the first day of preschool, it was understandable.

"What did she say this time?" she whispered as if it were some forbidden thing that she was trying to keep herself from. Again, understandable.

"Just 'get out.'" I shook my head as I whispered back the forbidden information. I wasn't even sure how I had provoked her. Then again, my mother needed little instigation.

Trying not to overreact, Jamie remained silent.

"Jamie?" I spoke up.

"Yeah?" she replied, clearly distant.

"I think that... I might..."

"Oh... My God, Alaina, I completely forgot!" She snapped back into reality and ran behind the couch and back upstairs where she most likely retrieving some unknown treasure.

Hearing her heavy footsteps tearing up and down the stairs, I observed as she disappeared through the archway and around the corner only to reappear holding a change in clothes. Slipping toward me on the hardwood floor, she caught herself on the back of the older looking couch and stood up straight as if nothing had happened at all.

"So, I take it the gravity still works?" I chuckled as I accepted the clothes that she had been saving for me.

"Yeah," she replied, more or less pleased with what she had just done for me.

Rolling my eyes I strode into the bathroom that lie near the staircase, and changed into the new pair of clean clothes. I was dressed in a navy blue tee shirt that had a 'v' neck and read 'got milk?' across the front and a pair of slightly baggy, darker jeans with white seams that ran up and down the side of my legs. I also had pulled my medium length, dirty-blond hair into a sport pony tail so that both my stitches and my golden locket were visible on my slightly tanned skin.

Emerging from the bathroom, I headed down the hallway back into the living room where Jamie sat in waiting.

Hearing me, she turned then rolled her eyes and returned to the magazine that she had been reading. "You look amazing, as always.

"Are you kidding me? You look better than I do!" Jamie just shook her head and continued with her magazine as was typical when someone would compliment her. She never could quite grasp that people weren't joking all the time about how she looked.

"Breakfast!" Mrs. Davis called from the kitchen that was through a door to the left when one would first walk in. Exchanging a glance, Jamie and I raced to the table where she took her seat next to her father, and across her little sister, and I took a pop up chair that Mrs. Davis had set up next to Mrs. Davis and Jamie.

The breakfast was probably one of the best that I had ever had, consisting of rolls, berries, eggs, bacon ,and to top it all off: orange juice.

"So, Alaina, how is the summer treating you?" Mrs. David inquired. She (and everyone else at the table) had been kind enough to dance around the topic of my mother.

"Oh, well, I've spent quite a bit of time out at the field and woods. I've been helping with some environmental samples for a friend," I offered politely, "You?"

"Well, as you know, we are going to be going on vacation a week from now," she smiled giving me a meaningful glance. "We'll be gone for a month or so once we leave." I had completely forgotten about their vacation. They went on it every year. I always was thankful for their return. I suppose I would just have to be more careful around my mother again.

"Oh, yeah," I smiled. "Where are you guys going again?" It would be a hard month, but I would be able to make it.

"Down south, we have some relatives that live right on the lake!" Jamie's sister spoke up excitedly while Jamie and I just exchanged sideways glances. She knew what them leaving would do for me, but I managed to keep up my poker face and throw her an encouraging glance. 'How bad could it be?' I asked myself, already knowing the answer to that question. Pretty bad, but now wouldn't be the time to acknowledge it.

"So, Alaina," Jamie's father cleared his throat. "Do you have any plans coming up?"

I paused for a moment, contemplating bringing up his promise, but decided against it for fear of what my mother would do if she found out. Even Jamie barely knew about my plan. "Um... Well, I have been doing some work as an office assistant. I might be able to keep that up."

Pursing her lips, Jamie's mother masked a smile. "Just keep doing what you're doing, honey."

I smiled and nodded my head in false agreement. I didn't know if I could.

Standing up from the table, I excused myself, thanking Mrs. David for the wonderful breakfast and for dealing with me, and stormed off into Jamie's room which was upstairs and immediately to the right. This was more like home to me than anywhere anymore, even if it seemed like more of a burden on the family than anything else.

"Alaina?" Jamie asked softly opening the door.

"I'm sorry, Jamie," I looked up with an exhausted glance.

"Alaina?" she sounded slightly less calm, as if she realized what I was thinking, although judging by the way that she was holding her shoulders, she didn't.

"Jamie," I replied matter of factly. It always seemed to irritate her when I did that, but at the moment, I could care less. This morning had been almost more emotionally tolling than I cared to handle.

"You know, maybe it won't be that bad. I mean..." she trailed off, silenced with a glance from me.

'It'll be bad. It always is.' "Jamie," I shook my head at my friend's foolishness. It was one thing to be optimistic, and another thing entirely to be unrealistic.

"At least it'll only be a month," she tried to reason with me.

"Yeah, whole month." Shaking my head, I looked at her then eyed the wall, analyzing a thought that I had been preparing for months. What if...?

"But then we'll be back…" she hesitated in her own attempt at friendship.

"Jamie?" I looked back at her, a renewed youth returning back into my eyes. "I want you to help with something."

"What?" she asked looking at me with her huge, round, blue eyes. Suddenly, I had peaked her interest.

Pausing, I waited for realization to cross her face before I continued. "I mean..."

"Are you insane?" she stood up and walked to her window that over looked the backyard. "You don't even have the right stuff, and then!"

"Well, actually..."

"Then what would your mother, MY Mother think?!"

"My bag..."

"Jesus, Alaina! I thought you were joking when you brought that up! I mean, I wouldn't even think about doing it, and then there's school!"

"Jamie," I attempted to interrupt my friend, but she was on a roll.

"You can't just drop out, I mean..." looking around the room frantically, searching for more reasons, more support.

"Jamie," I sat still and calmly as she proceeded to panic.

"What?!" she shouted in return on accident, she was out of range emotionally as she often would get when I suggested a more radical idea.

Raising my eyebrows, I waited for her to relax.

Exhaling deeply, she just met my eyes and looked away with a mumbled, "Sorry."

Shaking my head, I looked at her and relaxed farther back into her bed. "Jamie?"

"Yes?" she replied in a small voice from across the room having been embarrassed.

"You know, even when I was little, an adventure was always something I wanted. Don't you remember?" I smiled at the thought of my childhood. "And, if I remember correctly, that was always something that you wanted too. You and I would always play explorer out on the play structure with the rest of the kids. What happened to that, Jamie?"

"Things changed," she replied sitting next to me.

"How?"

"Well, I wanted to become a doctor, and you..."

"Tell me, Jamie, what did I want to do?" I whispered, knowing that she sensed my point.

Silencing herself, she knew what I was getting at, but tried not to accentuate my point.

"Alaina! Your mother's here!" called from downstairs.

Turning quickly from the door to Jamie, I tried to utter out the last of my thoughts. "Please, Jamie, you've got to help me," was all I whispered as I turned to the stairs and walked down into the living room where my mother was standing in wait with Jamie's looking perfectly pleasant.

"Come, Alaina," she smiled, clearly trying her hardest to seem like a civilized woman.

"Thank you, ," I turned to her gratefully, knowing that she was unsure about letting me go, but at the same time, she was also trying hard not to instigate anything.

Jamie stepped forward for a goodbye hug and we went in for a friendly embrace. "Fine, I might be able to pull a few favors. I sure hope that you know what you are doing, Alaina."

Smiling at each other when we let go, I began to walk away while she stood there as pleasantly oblivious as she would have been had she just told me that she liked my shirt. Jamie did have a bit of a devious streak to her.

Smiling to myself, I just marched out the door under the watchful eye of my mother.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Okay! So I had this posted a while back, but for some reason it was deleted. But it's back up and running now! I'm going to post a chapter or two a day until we get back to the place where we were.**

**Outside that:**

**Thank you those who are reading, I really appreciate you reading this and I look forward to hearing what you have to say about it!**

**~Flubby48**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

When we were twelve, we were given tests. Tests to see what partner would be ours should we register for one or if we would be eligible to go on a journey at all. This was a test that all people would be given once they reach a certain age, and this was a test that was both dreaded and viewed with excitement.

When I was twelve, I remember them walking around the room handing my classmates their tests. One at a time, the teacher would wish them good luck and move on to the next placed exactly three feet away to either side and do the same. I remember being completely terrified that day.

It had always been my dream to have a pokémon, to go on an adventure, and as soon as you passed this test and got it evaluated, you were free to apply. Only- the closer the teacher got to me, the more terrified I got until finally, she placed the test in front of me. Judgment time had come.

I remember the first question clearly. It read:

_Q1.a.) What type is your favorite?_

Then it listed all seventeen of the types that we had learned about. I recall just sitting there, petrified, for what felt like an hour before I answered the first question with a small note at the bottom of the list. _'I like them all'._

All the questions were things like that for the first section, and I answered them all the same. Then it was the personality portion that came, which I was even less sure of. The only thing that I knew I had gotten right were the factual questions:

_Q1.c) What is water strong against? List the types:_

And so on. It was the most horrified I had been in my life because it was what the rest of my life depended on. That one day, and there was nothing that I could have changed if I made a wrong move.

I felt a bit like that as I forced myself to get up and pack for my dream that one night. I wouldn't fail. I couldn't fail myself, I couldn't. The one thing that I had ever known for sure in my life, and it was tonight.

Clenching my hands nervously, I stepped numbly out the front door of my house. I could still turn back, there was still time, but no. Not trying was the same as a failure. I couldn't just live my life in fear.

Jamie's house was just down the block, but with the cold mountain air against my face and the weight of the task at hand, time inched by slowly with each step. With a nervous breath as I approached Jamie's door, I stopped, and reminded myself: tonight was the night, and I knocked twice then turned the knob.

The house was quiet and dark as I stepped inside and latched the door. It was only to be expected that it be this way as it was only past three in the morning, but the mood that the silence set was nerve wracking. It felt like the calm before the storm.

I was here a few hours early, but I couldn't sleep. I was excited and anxious, but also an uneasy calm. I couldn't fail; I wouldn't let myself.

After the tests, the results would be announced in a town meeting announcing who passed and in what percentile ranges. That day, I remembered my mother dressed me up in a pretty violet halter dress that contrasted my eyes and French braided my hair down my back. That was one of the few times that I had seen her excited for me despite her drunken behavior. That was the only time that I could remember her being sober after my father left her—us.

One by one, we lined up on the stage; we were all dressed in our best clothes as we listened to the professor announce the results to the audience. You had to get in the seventieth percentile or above in order to pass. Names started being called as each student would smile, relieved and step forward in order to receive their diploma. There were five in the seventieth to seventy-fifth percentile. There were six in both the seventy-fifth to eightieth percentile and the eightieth to eighty-fifth percentile. There were nine in the eighty-fifth percentile to the ninetieth, and then Jamie's name was finally called in the ninetieth to ninety-fifth percentile along with six others. Finally, the last percentile was announced, and my name had not been called yet. There were two in the ninety-fifth to the hundredth percentile: one boy named Chandler that I hardly had seen at school. After his name was called, the audience followed with an ear-splitting round of applause, the as they quieted down, the next name was called.

At first, my legs were numb when they called the name. "Alaina Reeds," he read off the paper. Jamie, pushing me forward, I stumbled up to greet the professor who only whispered a warm, "Good Job," as I took his hand and shook it with stunned enthusiasm and the audience applauded enthusiastically for my success. That ended up being the happiest day of my life; I had made it. I had made my dream.

* * *

I woke on the sofa a good three or four hours later to the smell of bacon wafting toward my nose. It was morning time.

Walking into the kitchen with a yawn, I took a seat at the table that Mrs. David had already set for me.

"Good morning," I greeted contentedly as she walked over and placed a plate in front of me. "Thank you for making breakfast." Then, after finishing a mouthful I continued, "I'm sorry to be here so early."

"You're always welcome here, Alaina; you know that don't you?" she smiled, acknowledging my attempt to be polite.

Smiling, I just went back to my food. Mrs. Davis had taken on the role of my mother for the longest time now; it made me happy that she enjoyed helping me as much as I enjoyed her company.

The breakfast was delicious, even after Jamie came down and started eating off of my plate.

"Don't eat that honey, that's Alaina's," Mrs. David corrected her as she placed Jamie's plate in front of her as Jamie just grunted her thanks and proceeded to eat before taking a double take at me.

"You're here?" Jamie inquired having not seen me before.

"Yes?" I chuckled at the fact that she hadn't noticed me even though she was eating my food. Typical Jamie.

With a grunt, she returned to inhaling her food. "You're early," she grunted indifferent to anything but her bacon.

With a shrug, I replied, "Couldn't sleep."

"Eat, Alaina, dear, you have a long day ahead of you," Jamie's mom persisted placing more hash browns on my plate and moving to the stair case to wake the other two in the house for breakfast.

Glancing unhungrily at my food, I just pushed it away and waited for Mrs. David's return. She was right, I did have a long day ahead of me, but for some reason, that was only reducing my appetite. This was a day that I had been waiting for for a long time, and I would rather spend the day swallowing my excitement than swallowing breakfast foods.

"Good morning, Alaina!" Jamie's little sister, Eden, skipped into the room excitedly, gave me a hug and took her seat across the table from me. Closely following her was Mr. and Mrs. Davis who only smiled at their daughter's spunk and sat down on either side of the rectangular table.

"So, is it true?" Eden broke the hunger induced silence with her high, eight year-old voice. Jamie tensed, staring intently at her sister.

Blissfully unaware of her sister's death glares from across the tables, Eden continued, "That, you're… you know…"

"Yes, dear, it's true," Mrs. Davis swallowed her breakfast and replied.

Eden's green eyes growing huge, she turned back to me with a new respect. "Cool."

"Don't worry, Ed, I'll send you lots of souvenirs, you too, Jamie," I turned back to my friend and nudged her with my shoulder. She only grunted in reply.

"My name's not Ed," she pouted. Of course, her real name would always be Eden, but Eddie was my pet name for her. Not to mention, she got cute when she told me not to call her that.

"No, you will always be Eddie," I reassured her.

She just gave me a 'glare' before returning to her bacon.

"Well, Alaina, we better get going. We don't want to be late," Jamie's mom dismissed herself from the table with a nod in my direction. Agreeing, I got up and began to walk out toward the garage that was on the other side of the living room when I realized that I was forgetting something.

Stopping in the doorway to the kitchen I turned back to the table. "Jaime?" I invited her to come see me off, but she just sat there gazing intently at her plate. For a second, I paused unsure and confused, then put my poker face back on and walked into the garage where Mrs. David had already put my bag. Jamie…?

Hopping in the right back seat of their black Jeep, Mrs. David started the engine and started backing out of their driveway. I wanted nothing more than to hop out of the car and hug Jamie and tell her that it was going to be alright. She didn't want me to go. She knew what could happen, last year a boy our age had gone missing and was never found, but I would be alright. This was my dream, which is why I couldn't go back. I had to do this. Jamie was the only reason that I had stayed, and now, I was the reason that I was leaving.

'_I'm sorry, Jamie,'_ I thought to myself as we began driving away. I only caught a glimpse of Jamie stepping out into the garage and waving.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

The day was already getting warm by the time that we reached the small ranch that rested just at the bottom of the mountain and to the north of Sandgem. It was only about nine when we pulled up to the rod iron gate that barred it off from visitors. Inside, I could see there were pokémon of all variations walking around, although it didn't seem crowded.

Pulling to the side of the road, Mrs. Davis put the car in park and helped me get my backpack out of the back. "So, Mr. Davis and I decided to put some money together and get you this," she said as she pulled a small box out of the back and handed it to me gesturing me to open it.

Slowly, I refocused my attention at the parcel that was in my hands. It didn't seem heavy, just small. Bit by bit, I took the box apart and bit by bit I realized what it was. It was something that I had always wanted, but had never been able to get. It was a cell phone.

Gazing at it, I allowed a small smile to cross my face.

"It was just something that we thought you might need. With this you could keep in touch, or do research," she smiled as I met her eyes. "It's not much, but that's our contribution to your journey."

"Thank you," I smiled at her. She knew that this was something that I had wanted for a while.

"Oh, and one last thing," Mrs. Davis added as she climbed into her car. "Our numbers are already programmed into that, so if you need anything…"

Smiling, I nodded as she rolled up her window and rolled away toward the town that was somewhere immediately over the horizon. Rotating to face the ranch, I began to pace toward it. This was my future?

"Name?" A small box verbalized to my left as I approached the gate.

"Alaina Reeds?" I stumbled over my words. I hadn't realized that I was nervous until I had spoken up, but I was. My mother wouldn't care what I was doing, but would I be able to make her proud? She at first after I had passed, had endorsed me leaving, but I wouldn't. I couldn't leave Jamie. Things back then weren't as bad at home. Now I had to. Things change, and I had to follow my dream.

"Enter," It replied as the gate swung open to the grassy land. The area was relatively well groomed, but there was still an air of foreboding about it; of course, that could have been me.

Taking a deep breath, I began to walk down the dirt path that made its way directly down a meadow and toward a small building that looked like it was newer and better made than the surrounding farm houses.

Bending down to tie my shoe, I took a moment to a talk myself into walking up to the building. _I had passed the test. I was eligible. The sooner the better._

With a forced smile, and a pounding I my chest I looked up. I was going to do it. That was, until a small Pokémon came and ran around my legs as if in hiding. Bending down, I took a look at it as it rubbed up against my hand and whacked me with its leaf that smelled of something pleasant that reminded me of a garden.

"Hello," I giggled as it recoiled looking at me with wonder giving me a look that told me that it wasn't sure what to make of me. Meeting my eyes with its huge round blue-green ones it made a small noise that sounded like a 'chi' to me; then, overjoyed it hopped up and down and whacked me playfully with its leaf again when I tried to pet its smooth green pelt.

"Chikorita!" a boy called from across the way. He couldn't have been any older than thirteen but he seemed like he knew what he was doing as he approached Chikorita. That is until Chikorita made a squealing noise and hid behind my leg again.

Bending down to pick her up, I rose and handed her to the boy that thanked me. She only squirmed for a moment when he had her in his hands. "Sorry about her, she can be a bit excitable."

Shrugging it off I just smiled, "Don't worry about it."

"So, I take it you're here to see Professor Rowan?"

I nodded.

"Here, I'll take you to him, he seemed really excited when he saw your application, I couldn't be sure why. Alaina, right?"

"Yeah, and you are?" I inquired as he led the way to the building with Chikorita still in his hands.

"Jeff, I'm his grandson, I work here every summer, but this next year I'm leaving after I get the test results back," he continued. Apparently, Jeff was a talker. "How old are you anyway? You look too old to be twelve."

"Uh… yeah, I'm fourteen," I replied.

"Fourteen?!" Jeff exclaimed as he spun to look at me.

"Almost fifteen," I smiled back at him as he went to tame the squirming Chikorita eventually conceding to putting it in its pokéball.

"She yours?" I inquired trying to mask my disappointment. I had taken a liking to her. Not that I had expected her to be one of my choices; usually there were only a few common Pokémon like a Hoppip or a Pidgy offered which suited me just fine.

"Chikorita?" He scoffed. "Naw. She's one of the Pokémon for new trainers to choose from, but I couldn't see why anyone would want her. She's impossible."

"Maybe she's just waiting for the right trainer," I offered, glad that Jeff was preoccupied with the lock to the door.

He replied with a sarcastic snort, "Yeah, maybe."

Swinging open the door we walked into a space that looked like it was a waiting room with a wooden floor and a thoroughly abandoned desk.

"Grandpa! I got the girl you said would be here! Grandpa!" Jeff called loudly, shocking me. For one, I didn't want to make a scene, and I couldn't believe he was addressing his grandfather like that.

"Can't I just sign in or something?" I tried to get him to stop yelling.

"Naw. The secretary doesn't start until the beginning of the season," he replied his voice still well above the volume that was normal.

"Well, can't I just…"

"Grandpa!" Jeff interrupted me as an old man with grey hair that stood at about six foot two stepped into the room.

"Hush, Jeff!" he boomed over his grandson with authority. "You're being awfully obnoxious."

"Sorry, grandfather," he whispered softly clearly intimidated as he looked down.

"Not a problem, regardless, while you are here, would you be so kind as to fetch Lucas? He should be out toward the fields."

"Yes, Grandfather," he smiled and trotted out the door.

"That Jeff… he needs to learn patience. So, Alaina was it?" he nodded in my direction before heading off to type something in on the computer that was at the desk.

Nodding my head, I went to sit at a chair across from him.

"If, I recall correctly, you got a fairly high score on your exam," he smiled as he rose from the desk chair that looked like it had been repaired one too many times.

Quietly, I nodded my head. I wasn't quite sure how to address him, and I figured it wouldn't be wise to address him incorrectly.

"Yes, we rarely see a score as high as yours. I was quite eager for your arrival that year," I watched him pace to a picture posted on the wall of a small boy and a young pokémon. It was a relatively old photo, but it made me smile. They looked like they were having fun. "I wonder what kept you. Nevertheless…" turning to me with a glint in his eye that betrayed the age that his face showed, he continued, "You're here now, and I presume that you would like to choose your partner."

"Yes, sir," I nodded trying to conceal how eager I was. I couldn't help but grin.

Turning his attention to me he nodded, a glint of kindness in his eyes. "Excited?" I nodded. "Well, you turned in the appropriate paperwork, so do you have any questions before we get started? I presume you know the procedure?"

"Actually, Professor, I was wondering if…"

"Professor, Jeff said you wanted me?" A semi-formal young man that had to be around nineteen or so years old came panting into the room hunched over like he had just run here.

"Ah, Lucas," The professor greeted him with a pat on the back. "This was the young prodigy that I was telling you about."

Lucas turned to me and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you…?" He prompted curiously.

"Um… Alaina," I stammered. "Professor…?"

"Alaina. That's a nice name," Lucas smiled, unaware of his interruption. "So tell me, Alaina, do you have anything in mind for a partner?"

"I-I don't know," Lucas jotted down something on a clipboard. I struggled to sort out the priority of my thoughts. First: did the professor just call me a prodigy? "Professor?"

"I suppose we'll have to have you look at them before making a decision." Professor Rowan hadn't heard me. Lucas just continued jotting down notes. "Regardless, you'll have a wide selection to choose from anyway. Why don't we head out to the field and take a look at a few, you can make a decision then."

Glancing between Lucas and the professor, I nodded my agreement and allowed myself to be lead out of the waiting room. Lucas seemed like a nice guy, maybe a little jumpy. They led me out toward the fields where Lucas had explained they would let out a few Pokémon and let me choose from them. If any stood out to me, they would let them out after the initial meeting.

"This is basic protocol," Lucas finished as we approached the center of one of the fields. "Here, I'll let out the first one."

A small greenish Pokémon was the first one to emerge from the pokéball with a flash of light. Lucas announced this one as 'Caterpie'; although, I couldn't tell you the first thing about it.

The second one he let out gave a bit more of a lasting impression, but I don't think that was the best way for it to turn out. The second Pokémon was a Houndour that as soon as it had the chance singed my pants and ran off with Lucas's clipboard.

After that, the Pokémon that I was shown all started to bleed together. There was a Togepi, an Abra, a Driftloon, a Bagon, a Zubat, a Smoochum. I honestly don't think I would have been able to list them off by the time that we were done with all of them. By the time that we were finished, the only ones that I was able to remember clearly were the Houndour and the Chikorita I had seen when I first arrived, and the Chikorita hadn't even been one of my choices.

I just sat back on my feet thinking about it.

"So?" Lucas inquired, finally managing to speak.

None of the ones I had been shown really stuck out to me. "Um, professor?" I glanced up from the ground.

"Yes?" his eyes rose up from his reading glasses to meet mine.

"Well…" I choked on my words. Every bit of my reasoning said this was against protocol. "There is… one."

"Oh, good! Good!" he smiled as he glanced back at his book.

"Only, you see, this one wasn't once of the choices I was given," I glanced down toward the dirty ground. "I was wondering if I could see one other. I met a Chikorita on my way in, and I was wondering… may I see her?"

No one spoke for a few seconds. "I'm sorry, Alaina," Lucas started slowly looking at the professor for help. "That's…"

Professor Rowan, however, had a different idea. "Lucas, will you go fetch Chikorita?" He nodded calmly, regarding me with a faint smile.

"Chikorita?! I hardly think…! Surely…!" Lucas stammered over words to say as if in search for some deeper meaning. "Professor…?" he gazed at him at a loss.

"Chikorita, Lucas," Professor Rowan prompted calmly.

Wordlessly, Lucas stalked away to go fetch her leaving an irritation about himself.

Curiously, the professor glanced at me.

Lucas came back in only a few moments, holding out a pokéball. "Chi?" was what she said when she was let out. Then a look of pure joy crossed her face as she saw me and attempted to tackle me. I held her off with my arm.

"Well, that's that," the professor was somewhat lost in thought. "We'll just have to firm up the details."

It took us a few moments, but we did 'firm up the details' in his office which was just behind the waiting room I had been taken into when I first got there.

"Chikorita is very young," he told me. "It is typically against protocol for us to hand out Pokémon at such a young age, but given your age and your test results, I presume you will be able to handle her."

I was excited, especially as Lucas showed me to the Trainer's Quarters on the other side of the property. Most starting trainers would stay the night there when they got their Pokémon. They would show me the town in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

_Hey Jamie,_

_ Today, I chose my partner- or I guess, she really actually chose me. After your mom dropped me off at the ranch, she was the first pokémon that I saw. Actually, she ran up to me before I really got a chance to know what in the world was going on. Apparently, she was hiding from Jeff, who is some random helper that took me to the professor (apparently, he's the professor's grandson or something)._

_ Anyway… It made me smile, seeing the Chikorita's enthusiasm, which is why, in the end, I guess we ended up partners. I tried hard not to make any hasty decisions, but I kind of think that we do make a bit of an odd pair. She's insane. Not to say that I'm just some huge bucket of normal, but… you know. I'm just surprised that it was her in the end as opposed to one of the other choices that I got (and trust me, I got A TON). I've nicknamed her Ellie. She seems to really like it._

_ How's vacation? I really like it here so far, at least I don't have to worry about my mom coming home drunk (which is always a plus). The professor is letting me stay a night or two so that I could get my feet on the ground and so he can make sure that I know what I'm doing. I don't think I'll have any problems though. I'm really excited! _

_Write Back Soon,_

_A__laina_

_PS: Tell Eddie and your family I said hi! I'll try to keep you guys posted with my adventure._

* * *

I woke up late the next morning for the first time in a long time seeing the sun in my face rather than my mother. Rolling over, I glanced at the clock, which read '9:30', at least it wasn't too late.

"Chi?" Ellie hopped up from the foot of my bed when I sat up then whacked me with her leaf. Glancing around the room, it appeared to be in relatively good shape despite the fact that I had kept Chikorita out all night. That was a good sign.

Shifting, I reached to feel the stitches that lined my face somewhere close to my ear. Wincing, I felt a wave of soreness followed by the slightest amount of blood welling at the sight of the wound. It would be sore for a while, but at least it wasn't too visible through my hair.

Throwing on a pair of basketball shorts, another blue 'v' neck t-shirt and some ratty soccer shoes, I headed out into the dining room that they had directed me to last night for dinner. The whole building had a very classy air to it, which I appreciated, but wasn't a huge fan of. It made it seem very regal.  
"There she is!" Jeff shouted sounding exasperated, an Aipom jumping at the sound of his voice then flipping around to land on Jeff's shoulder.

"Morning," I nodded his way slowly as I observed the professor walking in from a neighboring room that appeared to have been the kitchen

"About time too," Lucas smiled as he walked into the room behind the professor and crossed over to stand next to Jeff. "It's been what? Three days now?"

Studying his face, I tried to determine if he was joking.

"What you mean you don't remember? You did hit your head pretty hard chasing Chikorita there…" I observed, bewildered, as Lucas continued exchanging solemn glances with Jeff and ignoring a glare from the professor that told me he was joking.

"Oh, hush now, Lucas," Rowan shook his head proceeding to busy himself with a glass case that was in the corner of the room.

Glancing down, I saw Ellie puff out her stomach in a flash of indignation before going off to sniff out scraps beneath the mahogany table; I supposed that I would have to work on her attention span later.

"What?" he shrugged innocently right before cracking up. Lucas seemed looser today than yesterday.

"Don't you two need to get ready?" I dismissed them with an unbelievable scowl that quickly dissolved into a rolling of the eyes, a wave of the hand, and a chuckle.

Rolling his eyes, Lucas just waved me away and grabbed Jeff who had curtsied and walked out of the room good-naturedly. Snorting like a horse, Ellie just chased after them and watched them walk out the door. Then trotted back, looking like she had just won the lottery.

Stiffling a laugh, I crouched down and let her caress my hand with a purring trill. "You really have a big personality don't you?" I smiled as she jerked away and looked at my hand intently before charging back under the table looking for more scraps.

"Why don't you grab a breakfast muffin from the kitchen, Alaina? Ellie has already been fed," Professor Rowan spoke up without withdrawing his attention from the small glass case that housed nothing more than a few stones to acknowledge me again.

Nodding my head, I looked at him with a smile, then paced cautiously into the kitchen just barely catching him sigh and shake his head as I turned the corner. Ellie glanced up at him from my heel. It made me wonder…

Soon after, we headed into town to pick up a few things. It took all of a minute to have Jeff run off after his Aipom and into the city. That left Lucas to show me the ropes of being a Pokémon Trainer. There was the Pokémon Center, which I was already familiar with, and then there were the small shops scattered around the town.

It took some convincing to convince Lucas to let us stop at the post office to mail my letter due to his 'oh so important' schedule that we had to stick to. Lucas had explained that the professor was expecting them back by a certain time. In the end, I just walked right into the post office and sent my letter anyway.

With a grin, I turned away from Lucas who would not stop dragging me from shop to shop and sat a few feet away, happy to compose my thoughts in a park while he counted inventory.

"You know, we still have to head to the pokémon center and print out a trainer card," I turned to him.

"Didn't I tell you that I already got yours?" he spoke up lifelessly without stopping his counting. _Two potions… dried food…_ Nodding his head, he looked up from the list of things that he had on his lap regarding me with a curious look. "All trainers that start out with the Professor just print out their I.D. at the lab," then as if he remembered something, he shuffled in his bag and withdrew a blue piece of plastic. "For you."

For a second, I just stared at it: my trainer card. I wasn't even mad that he had kept it from me, just happy- even a bit shocked that this was mine. Reaching my hand out, I let the smooth, blue plastic slip into my hands, then examined the white print on it.

_Name: Alaina Elizabeth Reeds_

_Gender: Female_

_Test Score: 98.5%_

_I.D. Number: 56830*_

"We're done shopping, if you want to pick up anything," he offered to me, snapping my attention back up from the card.

Thinking about it for a second, I hesitated before answering. We had passed a small shop that looked like it sold fudge… Shaking my head, I turned back to Lucas. That was something that I could explore later, when I had money. "We'll be late if we go anywhere now."

Nodding his head, he relaxed farther back into the park bench. We said that we would meet the professor here soon anyway, and I was stocked. All there was to do was wait for my adventure to begin. I was ready. At least, I hoped I was.

The town had been larger than I had given it credit for from what I had seen of it on TV which begged the question: what else was there in Sinnoh? Sandgem had often been referred to as one of the smallest 'towns' in Sinnoh, but this was far larger than the village that I had grown up in. Driving to the town's square had taken a good fifteen minutes from the outskirts of town where the professor's office was. Apparently, he also had a more official office in town, but that was where he kept more of his formal research outside the 'science' of starters as Jeff had phrased it all the while bragging about his Aipom that I had caught a glimpse of earlier.

"Seriously, though," Jeff kept rambling refusing to let the silence stay in the car on the way back to the ranch. "Aipom is awesome and we got the test results back and everything. An eighty-two percent!"

Leaning over from the front seat to the back where I had placed myself, Lucas whispered, "He'll just keep talking, fair warning."

Slouching back into my seat, I tried not to look bored as I waited for us to get back. We had managed to buy everything that we needed from the town. A few pokéballs, some dried fruit. Lucas helped me find everything that I needed so that I could head out tomorrow which was nice because with the way that Jeff wouldn't shut up, I didn't know how much longer I could last.

"So, ah, Lucas, do you have any Pokémon?" I asked toying with an idea I had gotten back at town as we pulled onto the property.

"A few," he replied content to refocus the attention, "Why do you ask?"

* * *

**As always, I love hearing about what you guys have to say about my writing. **

**Reviews, Criticism, Threats? Review!**

**I hope you guys like it. I'm trying to pick up this story again now that it's summer. **

**-Flubby48**


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